The present invention relates to an integrated heat exchanger and liquid dispensing unit, and in particular, but not exclusively, to a heat exchanger and liquid dispensing unit for the flash cooling and dispensing of beer.
The cooling and dispensing of draught beverages such as beer requires the use of a refrigeration or cooling system to cool the beverage from room temperature to a preferred serving temperature. In relation to beer, a typical system used would involve a cool room for holding a supply of a refrigerant liquid such as brine and channelling the brine to a heat exchanger or flash unit disposed beneath a serving bar. Beer is channelled from one or more kegs held in a store room to the flash unit held beneath the bar. Often more than one beer is dispensed and there would be more than one dispensing point along the bar. The flash unit is typically in the form of a block of conductive material such as aluminium provided with a coolant coil through which the brine flows. Adjacent the cooling coil is one or more beer coils. An outlet from each beer coil is attached via a riser line to a font that is attached to the top of the bar. The font is in the form of a metallic T piece housing a plurality of internal pipes for channelling the beer to one or more taps connected to a cross bar of the font. The simultaneous passing of the brine and the beer through the flash unit transfers heat from the beer to the brine via the material of the block thereby cooling the beer. The flash unit may supply beer to more than one font.
This system for cooling beer has several inherent disadvantages. The heat exchanger or flash unit is of relatively large size and occupies substantial space beneath the bar. Further, the riser lines leading from the flash unit to the font, while insulated, absorb heat and thus increase the temperature of the beer previously passed through the flash unit. Also because of the volume of beer held in the riser lines, it is known if there is any substantial delay between the pouring of successive beers, that the third beer would be the coolest or at the optimum temperature. This sometimes leads to the practice of discarding the first glass or two of beer poured from each tap each day. Additionally the fonts, made from metal, act as a heat exchanger absorbing heat from the atmosphere. The amount of heat gained is substantial and is taken into consideration when designing cooling systems. The existence of the riser lines and fonts makes mechanical or abrasive cleaning of the beer lines beyond the flash unit virtually impossible. While abrasive cleaners are typically used from the keg to the flash unit, it is practically impossible to use such cleaners through the risers and fonts due to the relatively large number of diameter changes, elbows, and joints in the riser lines.
The present invention was developed to provide a beer dispensing system that substantially eliminates at least one of the abovementioned problems in the prior art. However, embodiments of the invention can be utilised for dispensing of different beverages or liquids and, for heating rather than cooling of the liquid to be dispensed.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an integrated heat exchanger and liquid dispensing unit for the flash cooling or heating and dispensing of a liquid, said unit including at least:
a main body including a block of thermal insulating material, the main body having an internal fluid flow path having an inlet, an outlet and a void disposed in fluid communication between said inlet and said outlet said void being formed in said block;
a conduit, at least a length of which is disposed in said void, said conduit having an inlet to admit a liquid into said conduit and an outlet at an end of said length to expel the liquid; and,
a dispensing valve coupled to said outlet of said conduit and supported on said main body for dispensing said liquid; whereby, in use, a heat transfer fluid is passed through said fluid flow path and directly contacts said length of said conduit to effect heat transfer between said heat transfer fluid and a liquid passing through said conduit, changing the temperature of said liquid while said liquid is dispensed directly from the main body via the dispensing valve.
Preferably said main body further includes an outer housing which houses the thermal insulating block and wherein the dispensing valve is demountably attached to said housing.
Preferably said void is lined with a rigid sleeve.
Preferably said unit includes an adaptor attached between said sleeve and said outer housing for coupling the outlet of said conduit to said dispensing valve.
Preferably said void includes a plurality of chambers, said chambers being in mutual fluid communication with each other so that said heat transfer fluid admitted through the inlet of the fluid flow path must flow through all of said chambers to exit through the outlet of said fluid flow path and said conduit is one of a plurality of separate conduits, each conduit having a length disposed in a corresponding chamber.
Preferably each chamber is lined with a separate rigid sleeve.
Preferably said length of each conduit is coiled.
Preferably said main body has a base on which said unit sits when said unit is in use.
Preferably said inlet and outlet of said fluid flow path and said inlets of conduits extend through said base.
Preferably said fluid flow path is a single non-branched flow path whereby all of said heat transfer fluid flowing into said inlet of said fluid flow path flows through said void and flows out said outlet of said fluid flow path.
Preferably said fluid flow path is free of valves or control means for controlling a rate of flow of said heat transfer fluid through said fluid flow path.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a liquid dispensing system including at least:
an integrated heat exchanger and liquid dispensing unit according to the first aspect of the present invention, said main body having a base; and
a substantially planar support surface on which said base sits and from which said liquid can be served.
Preferably said inlet and outlet of said fluid flow path and said inlet of said conduit extend through said base, and said planar support surface is provided with one or more apertures through which said inlet and outlet of said fluid flow path and said inlet of said conduit pass.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a liquid dispensing system including at least:
the integrated heat exchanger and liquid dispensing unit according to the first aspect of the present invention;
a remotely located temperature control system for providing a supply of said heat transfer fluid;
a remotely located liquid supply for supplying said liquid;
a heat transfer fluid delivery line coupled between said temperature control system and said inlet for supplying heat transfer fluid from said temperature control system to said integrated dispenser and heat exchanger unit;
a heat transfer fluid return line providing fluid communication between said outlet and said temperature control system; and
a liquid delivery line providing fluid communication between said liquid supply and said conduit; whereby, in use, said heat transfer fluid is continuously circulated through said temperature control system and said fluid flow path.
Preferably said liquid dispensing system further includes a substantially planar support surface on which said integrated heat exchanger and liquid dispensing unit is wholly disposed.
Preferably said planar support surface is provided with one or more apertures through which said inlet and outlet of said fluid flow path and said inlet of said conduit pass for coupling to said heat transfer delivery line, said heat transfer return line, and said liquid delivery line respectively.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of cooling and dispensing draught beer at a bar or counter of an establishment comprising the steps of:
providing a heat exchanger and liquid dispensing unit according to the first aspect of the present invention;
mounting said unit to be wholly supported on said bar or counter;
coupling said internal fluid flow path to a circulating flow of heat transfer fluid;
coupling said conduit to a supply of beer, and
operating said dispensing valve to dispense beer from said unit.